ERF-NGC-European:
Sounds as if you were right to stick to your guns, Spardo. Those full-length centre-axle draw-bars were all very well for high-volume low weight stuff like empty cans and polystyrene; but were a problem when it came to mixed weight loads, especially if the prime mover was short and the trailer was long. The later 38-tonne outfits with tri-axle trailers were a bit more stable; but the old 32-tonne outfits with tandem-axle trailers were a bit of a norman nightmare with mixed freight unless you loaded very carefully and avoided multi-drops. Just my opinion. Ro
Yes, though our case was somewhat different in that both drawing vehicle and trailer carried identical 24 foot demount bodies which were interchangeable and were frequently swapped in order to get into the tighter places without the drag.
Also, the load was not mixed, apart from the weights of different textiles. Each body had 4 stacks of rolled cloth secured by 4 vertical poles each. So, it wasnât always that the trailer was unloaded progressively from the rear before part at least of the wagon, but I certainly wasnât going to limit myself to avoiding it by unsuitable design.
The builderâs climb down and the fact that his product appeared sound persuaded me, in spite of his first attitude, to order the first batch of trailers from him. But they were also the last. Wanting to cover all eventualities, I wanted to be able if required, to carry 2 20 foot containers on these outfits. Imagine my horror when I saw the first 2 arrive with twistlocks at 24 feet. . They were sent back for modification and he got no more orders.
In the event, we only did a very few container loads, mainly Stanton pipes to the docks at Felixstowe, but as our wagons were more or less in constant demand for our own work, that was very rare, but the option was there if our company ever decided to export that way.
ERF-NGC-European:
This one was a bit of a bugger for overhang, especially in tight traffic. If you werenât carefully you could sideswipe stuff on your blind side when making sharp turns. I did mostly European work with it, which was just as well as it had LHD. Ro
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It looks like itâs been through the Harry Gill Vehicle Wash and Valet emporiumâŚ
Thanks to Lawrence Dunbar, Ray Smyth, ERF-NGC-European, lurpak, pyewacket947v and coomsey for the pics and all the craic
Oily
Singing the praises of the White truck.
I found this old business card recently when I was up in the loft searching for something else.
From about 1990, I bought several vehicles from West Lancashire Commercials, a small company
that was owned and run by David Herrington.
ERF-NGC-European:
This one was a bit of a bugger for overhang, especially in tight traffic. If you werenât carefully you could sideswipe stuff on your blind side when making sharp turns. I did mostly European work with it, which was just as well as it had LHD. Ro
2
we had ex Westermann lorries, had the axle swapped from the middle to the back.
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1
Ade
Hi lurpak ,got to say can not remember those , did they stay long ? Westermann i think had a base up in Shropshire some where ,regards Keith
ERF-NGC-European:
This one was a bit of a bugger for overhang, especially in tight traffic. If you werenât carefully you could sideswipe stuff on your blind side when making sharp turns. I did mostly European work with it, which was just as well as it had LHD. Ro
we had ex Westermann lorries, had the axle swapped from the middle to the back.
Ade
Hi lurpak ,got to say can not remember those , did they stay long ? Westermann i think had a base up in Shropshire some where ,regards Keith
Westermann was a big German company that operated on a franchise basis all over Europe. The standard outfits were high-volume non-steerable drawbar outfits. The scheme attracted a lot of owner-drivers but many general haulage companies operated one or two as additions to their home fleets. So there wasnât a base as such, other than head office in Germany. There were Spanish ones, Portuguese, French, Belgian, German and so on. It was controlled by an early satellite system called Eualtracks (IIRC) and the driver had a tracker mounted on the roof and could receive instructions for the next tip / collection. He had a keyboard with which to reply. All pre-internet and surprisingly efficient most of the time. And you got paid on time. I went as far as Portugal and Poland with them, as an employed driver for a company who ran a couple on the side.
Ray Smyth:
A lorry which I think is a Mercedes Benz delivering to a local convenience store at Pemberton, Wigan. 31/03/2021.
I used to go to a company in Coppull nr Wigan Ray, they rubberised the inside of pump casings for us predominantly to be used by the aggregate industries for pumping in quarries. They also did sump for a massive oil tank i took up there, canât remember their name but seem to remember it being nr an old mill?
Good to see youâve got some âproppaâ environmentally friendly transport at last Larry. Iâll meet you on the Rievers Way cycle track through Ponteland, will Sunday morning suit you? regards Kev.
Ray Smyth:
A lorry which I think is a Mercedes Benz delivering to a local convenience store at Pemberton, Wigan. 31/03/2021.
I used to go to a company in Coppull nr Wigan Ray, they rubberised the inside of pump casings for us predominantly to be used by the aggregate industries for pumping in quarries. They also did sump for a massive oil tank i took up there, canât remember their name but seem to remember it being nr an old mill?
. They were sent back for modification and he got no more orders. 
